1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to information organization, and, more particularly, to an organization of information for professionals and staff in organizing client, customer, accounting, and/or the like, information.
2. Description of the Background
Professional service providers, such as doctors, lawyers, and accountants, store and retrieve information concerning clients, patients, customers, and accounts. Often, such data is in paper form, and is stored, for example, in large open-well files that may contain multiple documents concerning a client or customer. These large paper files may be stored on shelves, or archived in storerooms on or off-site, for example.
Modern databases may be used to store such information, thereby making retrieval quicker and easier, and thereby utilizing less physical space for storage. In addition, the use of networked interfaces may allow access to such databases by multiple users. Controlled access may be provided to the multiple users by the use of security passwords and permissions, for example, which limit the availability of data to authorized individuals. However, although it is conceptually simple to “store and retrieve” information from a database, the organization of data within the database, and the access to such information, may become a determining factor in how useful the database is and how easily the database can operate to provide information.
For example, in the case of professional service providers, multiple areas of key information may include a client identification number, a matter identification number, a breakdown of billing, accounts due and/or receivable, payments made or expenses incurred, professional services rendered, correspondence, communications, meetings, contacts and other personal and corporate entities associated with the matter or client, as well as important documents and/or information associated with a client or customer. Organizing such a large amount of information may become problematic, in paper or database form. In paper form, such information, if limited in volume, may take the form of a well-stuffed expandable folder. If voluminous, such information may take the form of several expandable folders, with the associated physical access and loss problems. Thus, database entry of such information may be a partial solution, but the user may nonetheless suffer with the need to access multiple databases to manipulate contact, correspondence, finance, and document information concerning a single client.
An additional difficulty may be encountered when information is spread between multiple software applications. For example, basic client information may be in a standard searchable database, such as Microsoft Access, document information may be stored in an application such as Microsoft Word or DocsOpen, and accounting information may be provided in an application such as Quicken or another accounting program. Contact information may be provided in an application, such as Contacts within Microsoft Outlook. The roles of individuals may be provided in an application such as Excel or Contacts, and other specialized information, such as drawing information, may be provided in yet another application. Given this multiple application/database access problem, searching for information may become difficult, and multiple search techniques may be necessary, as each database or application may have a favored method of search, or other interface requirement, specified by differing user interfaces.
If information were available such that separately stored but related data was available in an easily searched, accessed, and manipulated form, then an improved ability to utilize related data would increase the efficiency of a professional attempting to access the information. Therefore, a need exists for a system that provides universal information access relating to a given client, and that can allow for the accessing and manipulation of client identification and characterization information, client billing and accounts receivable, client related documents, records of professional services rendered, correspondence, communications, meeting schedules, contacts, and other personal and corporate entity information associated with a client matter, for example. A need additionally exists for such a universal system to provide a comprehensive technique to allow simple access to information of varying complexity and format via a single, simple to use interface.